Wimbledon – Lesia Tsurenko shares touching story: Family affected by Russian war for second time

For Lesia Tsurenko there was a special match in the second round of Wimbledon: It was against her Ukrainian compatriot Anhelina Kalinina.

Tsurenko not only wore the white tennis dress that is mandatory for Wimbledon, but also a blue and yellow bow on his jersey. There was also massive encouragement from the ranks. “We stand with Ukraine” read some of the flags.

While there is unanimity in the scene in support for the war-torn country, opinions differ on the ban on Russian and Belarusian professionals.

“It’s just one step, but it’s a good one to show that we all have to do it. I’m Ukrainian and there’s no room in my head for a different opinion,” Tsurenko said at the press conference after the 6-3 , 6:4, 6:3 against Kalinina.

Tsurenko: “Thought I had a lot of friends…”

“I would be the first to say: No, they shouldn’t be banned from participating. But only one Belarusian and one Russian professional approached me and said: ‘I am against the war.’ I haven’t heard anything from others,” said the 33-year-old, visibly moved by her emotions.

According to Tsurenko, this “silence” is not good. “I thought I had a lot of friends on the tour, mostly from Russia and Belarus,” Tsurenko said.

The world number 101. appealed to everyone to help – even small gestures are important. “It’s not true if you think that donating ten dollars doesn’t mean anything. It means a lot. In the city, in the main city of my region, the Mykolayiv region, there has been no water for several months. If so if you think ten dollars is nothing, then that’s ten bottles of water for these people,” said Tsurenko, who comes from Volodymyrets in northwestern Rivne Oblast.

Tsurenko on Russia: “It’s too much”

“Russia must be stopped. I feel very sorry for countries like Ukraine and Georgia,” Tsurenko said. “It’s not that I don’t feel sorry for other conflicts in the world – but I just think that Russia is overdoing it. It is too much.”